Mystic, Conn.

By Tiffany SharplesWednesday, Dec. 10, 2008

Alfred Eisenstaedt / Time Life Pictures / Getty

People come year round to the historic seaside town of Mystic in the southeast corner of Connecticut. But in the weeks leading up to the holidays, a visit here is especially festive. Several nights a week, from Nov. 29 to Dec. 28, history comes alive with the annual Lantern Light Tours in which actors dressed in period costume recreate Christmas Eve 1876. The performance is a "moving play," leading groups of bundled-up guests along dirt roads and cobbled pathways, here dropping into a home for a ginger cookie as a family trims its tree, there wandering aboard a tall ship after a horse and buggy ride. Other pit stops include the local tavern for a spin on the dance floor. Even against the chill of the briny air, the nostalgic tour will warm the most jaded of hearts. Reserve tickets for the one-hour tour online ($25 for adults, $18 for children) or call 860-572-5331.